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My T started in October 2014, causes unknown, I do not listen to loud music nor had I been using any medication other than the occasional paracetemol. At first it was a tonal sound in my right ear..it got worse when I lie down..on a scale of 1-10, it was a moderate 4. I am 55 years young.

The sound abated in a few days and I thought nothing of it then one morning it came back a week later and it was worse! I went to my GP and he said its probably an infection but my ear canal was clear..he referred me to an ENT specialist (in Saudi Arabia its easy to see specialist docs).

The ENT just said..its Tinnitus and there is NO cure. He prescribes for me some herbal remedies of Ginseng and Vit. C..that was laughable actually as this was not an alternative medicine hospital. I took those in the hope of a cure..the ringing was still there and it felt worse..maybe now a 6. I was also having panic attacks and cant really concentrate on my job as a consulting engineer.

I began my own research..joined this Forum which helped me immensely learn about my condition and connected with fellow sufferer..a wonderful group of people full of support..and I felt a bit better of not being alone in this.

Read about habituation and retraining..downloaded a few audio tracks etc.

The T by now is in the middle of my head..and I also suffer from Hyperacusis and even friends closing car doors seemed deafening to me..I was in a horrible place and cannot seem to run away from my own head.

I sleep with masking sounds of the rain and had to somehow sleep sitting down..as lying was much worse. Friends were at first sympathetic but soon got bored of my "bitching" of my T and one even told me to just grow up..LOL..wish i could. I wouldnt wish this condition even on my worse enemy..if i had one.

I went to another ENT, same old story..no cure..and he suggested accupuncture instead..I hate needles..so I didn't go that route and also I read that there was no proven evidence it helped as well. He tested my audio profiles..my right ear has some hearing loss at the high decibels..nothing major.

My routine was using fenugreek boiled in water, B12, Honey, Prednisolon (steroid), Ginseng extracts, Zinc, Vit C, ..u name it and I take it..I was depressed and desperate.

I was overweight, so i started morning walks from 6am to 7am daily and watched my diet..felt better after a week or so..the ringing was still there 24/7 but my body feels more energised..I also sleep at 10pm daily (used to sleep at 2am and woke up at 7).

Six months onwards..and I lost nearly 20kgs..I also went to the gym for weight training. The T is louder when u lift weights using upper body but subsides back to its base levels (now level 5) when I'm back at rest..work is a lot better and despite the T, I manage to still get things done. I'm also abit OCD and tends to measure my T when i wake up and throughout the day..T has taken over my life.

I kept coming to this Forum for answers..not much success stories and I feel more depressed. Then one fine day i came across a posting, can't remember by whom but the essence being that this fellow sufferer of many years took a new approach..instead of measuring his T he measures his reaction to it..how does the T make him feel today..

A good day is a day when despite the T still being there he refuses to be dominated by it anymore..and carries on with life..literally ignoring it..

I tried this method..it was not easy as i am my own demon..but i tried to put the T as something not significant at all in my life..as a friend said to me..don't expect a car to be spanking new all the time..eventually u will hear creaks and rattles..seems to fit me..so i adjusted my own thinking process..i stopped trying to be perfect..and accepted my T being what it is..when i turn my head to the right i expected it to increase in volume and when i lie down i expected the same..I also expected the volume will lessen when i get up..so its nothing new..in a way the T became predictable instead of a foreign monster controlling me.

Eight months in (I do not have specific time frames) and one day I woke up to silence! I had by then stopped the steroids and the morning walks (too dangerous with the traffic here) but still continued with the gym.

My friend who bought a big bottle of garlic pills decided not to take it and had given it to me..i tried it (double strength but odorless) the night before with my usual Zinc 50 tabs and Vit C 500s.

I used the same mix again the next night but the T was there when i woke up..so it was not it..I still took it (even now) but my then my frame of mind was of acceptance and don't really mind the T and I stopped talking about it to anyone and frequented this Forum lesser and lesser..somehow I get a bit depressed reading about T when I'm trying to ignore it.

Present day (20 months)..some days the T is quite silent (level 2) some days base level 4..I cannot predict when the silence will come but do not expect it..grateful when it comes but not frustrated when it doesn't..its just a part of me now..an old car with rattles and dings.

As I write this, the T is still there but now mostly confined in my right ear and at level 3-4, no more hyperacusis and I am not very stressed either. Maybe I am habituating only time will tell.

The message is "It does get better" with time..and I hope eventually mine will totally be gone but even if it doesn't..I know I can live with it..just fill your lives with life. (I live alone in a foreign very restrictive country with few friends who comes and goes, and little social life..so its harder for me).

My T started in October 2014, causes unknown, I do not listen to loud music nor had I been using any medication other than the occasional paracetemol. At first it was a tonal sound in my right ear..it got worse when I lie down..on a scale of 1-10, it was a moderate 4. I am 55 years young.

The sound abated in a few days and I thought nothing of it then one morning it came back a week later and it was worse! I went to my GP and he said its probably an infection but my ear canal was clear..he referred me to an ENT specialist (in Saudi Arabia its easy to see specialist docs).

The ENT just said..its Tinnitus and there is NO cure. He prescribes for me some herbal remedies of Ginseng and Vit. C..that was laughable actually as this was not an alternative medicine hospital. I took those in the hope of a cure..the ringing was still there and it felt worse..maybe now a 6. I was also having panic attacks and cant really concentrate on my job as a consulting engineer.

I began my own research..joined this Forum which helped me immensely learn about my condition and connected with fellow sufferer..a wonderful group of people full of support..and I felt a bit better of not being alone in this.

Read about habituation and retraining..downloaded a few audio tracks etc.

The T by now is in the middle of my head..and I also suffer from Hyperacusis and even friends closing car doors seemed deafening to me..I was in a horrible place and cannot seem to run away from my own head.

I sleep with masking sounds of the rain and had to somehow sleep sitting down..as lying was much worse. Friends were at first sympathetic but soon got bored of my "bitching" of my T and one even told me to just grow up..LOL..wish i could. I wouldnt wish this condition even on my worse enemy..if i had one.

I went to another ENT, same old story..no cure..and he suggested accupuncture instead..I hate needles..so I didn't go that route and also I read that there was no proven evidence it helped as well. He tested my audio profiles..my right ear has some hearing loss at the high decibels..nothing major.

My routine was using fenugreek boiled in water, B12, Honey, Prednisolon (steroid), Ginseng extracts, Zinc, Vit C, ..u name it and I take it..I was depressed and desperate.

I was overweight, so i started morning walks from 6am to 7am daily and watched my diet..felt better after a week or so..the ringing was still there 24/7 but my body feels more energised..I also sleep at 10pm daily (used to sleep at 2am and woke up at 7).

Six months onwards..and I lost nearly 20kgs..I also went to the gym for weight training. The T is louder when u lift weights using upper body but subsides back to its base levels (now level 5) when I'm back at rest..work is a lot better and despite the T, I manage to still get things done. I'm also abit OCD and tends to measure my T when i wake up and throughout the day..T has taken over my life.

I kept coming to this Forum for answers..not much success stories and I feel more depressed. Then one fine day i came across a posting, can't remember by whom but the essence being that this fellow sufferer of many years took a new approach..instead of measuring his T he measures his reaction to it..how does the T make him feel today..

A good day is a day when despite the T still being there he refuses to be dominated by it anymore..and carries on with life..literally ignoring it..

I tried this method..it was not easy as i am my own demon..but i tried to put the T as something not significant at all in my life..as a friend said to me..don't expect a car to be spanking new all the time..eventually u will hear creaks and rattles..seems to fit me..so i adjusted my own thinking process..i stopped trying to be perfect..and accepted my T being what it is..when i turn my head to the right i expected it to increase in volume and when i lie down i expected the same..I also expected the volume will lessen when i get up..so its nothing new..in a way the T became predictable instead of a foreign monster controlling me.

Eight months in (I do not have specific time frames) and one day I woke up to silence! I had by then stopped the steroids and the morning walks (too dangerous with the traffic here) but still continued with the gym.

My friend who bought a big bottle of garlic pills decided not to take it and had given it to me..i tried it (double strength but odorless) the night before with my usual Zinc 50 tabs and Vit C 500s.

I used the same mix again the next night but the T was there when i woke up..so it was not it..I still took it (even now) but my then my frame of mind was of acceptance and don't really mind the T and I stopped talking about it to anyone and frequented this Forum lesser and lesser..somehow I get a bit depressed reading about T when I'm trying to ignore it.

Present day (20 months)..some days the T is quite silent (level 2) some days base level 4..I cannot predict when the silence will come but do not expect it..grateful when it comes but not frustrated when it doesn't..its just a part of me now..an old car with rattles and dings.

As I write this, the T is still there but now mostly confined in my right ear and at level 3-4, no more hyperacusis and I am not very stressed either. Maybe I am habituating only time will tell.

The message is "It does get better" with time..and I hope eventually mine will totally be gone but even if it doesn't..I know I can live with it..just fill your lives with life. (I live alone in a foreign very restrictive country with few friends who comes and goes, and little social life..so its harder for me).

Then one fine day i came across a posting, can't remember by whom but the essence being that this fellow sufferer of many years took a new approach..instead of measuring his T he measures his reaction to it..how does the T make him feel today..

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You're referring to the Back to Silence method post by Terry. Very long thread about it on this forum. Works for some, helps a little for some, and doesn't work for others at all.

Congratulations on finding a way to habituate, but don't fool yourself that tinnitus can be cured unless it has a cause such as TMJ syndrome or cervical problems or something similar which can be corrected. Always wear ear protection when necessary and avoid venues with loud noise. Once you've had tinnitus due to acoustic trauma or idiopathic, you're at risk of getting it again.

Edit to add: Someday there will be a cure, or at least a treatment that silences the sounds of tinnitus for the majority of people.

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
- Albert Einstein

My T started in October 2014, causes unknown, I do not listen to loud music nor had I been using any medication other than the occasional paracetemol. At first it was a tonal sound in my right ear..it got worse when I lie down..on a scale of 1-10, it was a moderate 4. I am 55 years young.

The sound abated in a few days and I thought nothing of it then one morning it came back a week later and it was worse! I went to my GP and he said its probably an infection but my ear canal was clear..he referred me to an ENT specialist (in Saudi Arabia its easy to see specialist docs).

The ENT just said..its Tinnitus and there is NO cure. He prescribes for me some herbal remedies of Ginseng and Vit. C..that was laughable actually as this was not an alternative medicine hospital. I took those in the hope of a cure..the ringing was still there and it felt worse..maybe now a 6. I was also having panic attacks and cant really concentrate on my job as a consulting engineer.

I began my own research..joined this Forum which helped me immensely learn about my condition and connected with fellow sufferer..a wonderful group of people full of support..and I felt a bit better of not being alone in this.

Read about habituation and retraining..downloaded a few audio tracks etc.

The T by now is in the middle of my head..and I also suffer from Hyperacusis and even friends closing car doors seemed deafening to me..I was in a horrible place and cannot seem to run away from my own head.

I sleep with masking sounds of the rain and had to somehow sleep sitting down..as lying was much worse. Friends were at first sympathetic but soon got bored of my "bitching" of my T and one even told me to just grow up..LOL..wish i could. I wouldnt wish this condition even on my worse enemy..if i had one.

I went to another ENT, same old story..no cure..and he suggested accupuncture instead..I hate needles..so I didn't go that route and also I read that there was no proven evidence it helped as well. He tested my audio profiles..my right ear has some hearing loss at the high decibels..nothing major.

My routine was using fenugreek boiled in water, B12, Honey, Prednisolon (steroid), Ginseng extracts, Zinc, Vit C, ..u name it and I take it..I was depressed and desperate.

I was overweight, so i started morning walks from 6am to 7am daily and watched my diet..felt better after a week or so..the ringing was still there 24/7 but my body feels more energised..I also sleep at 10pm daily (used to sleep at 2am and woke up at 7).

Six months onwards..and I lost nearly 20kgs..I also went to the gym for weight training. The T is louder when u lift weights using upper body but subsides back to its base levels (now level 5) when I'm back at rest..work is a lot better and despite the T, I manage to still get things done. I'm also abit OCD and tends to measure my T when i wake up and throughout the day..T has taken over my life.

I kept coming to this Forum for answers..not much success stories and I feel more depressed. Then one fine day i came across a posting, can't remember by whom but the essence being that this fellow sufferer of many years took a new approach..instead of measuring his T he measures his reaction to it..how does the T make him feel today..

A good day is a day when despite the T still being there he refuses to be dominated by it anymore..and carries on with life..literally ignoring it..

I tried this method..it was not easy as i am my own demon..but i tried to put the T as something not significant at all in my life..as a friend said to me..don't expect a car to be spanking new all the time..eventually u will hear creaks and rattles..seems to fit me..so i adjusted my own thinking process..i stopped trying to be perfect..and accepted my T being what it is..when i turn my head to the right i expected it to increase in volume and when i lie down i expected the same..I also expected the volume will lessen when i get up..so its nothing new..in a way the T became predictable instead of a foreign monster controlling me.

Eight months in (I do not have specific time frames) and one day I woke up to silence! I had by then stopped the steroids and the morning walks (too dangerous with the traffic here) but still continued with the gym.

My friend who bought a big bottle of garlic pills decided not to take it and had given it to me..i tried it (double strength but odorless) the night before with my usual Zinc 50 tabs and Vit C 500s.

I used the same mix again the next night but the T was there when i woke up..so it was not it..I still took it (even now) but my then my frame of mind was of acceptance and don't really mind the T and I stopped talking about it to anyone and frequented this Forum lesser and lesser..somehow I get a bit depressed reading about T when I'm trying to ignore it.

Present day (20 months)..some days the T is quite silent (level 2) some days base level 4..I cannot predict when the silence will come but do not expect it..grateful when it comes but not frustrated when it doesn't..its just a part of me now..an old car with rattles and dings.

As I write this, the T is still there but now mostly confined in my right ear and at level 3-4, no more hyperacusis and I am not very stressed either. Maybe I am habituating only time will tell.

The message is "It does get better" with time..and I hope eventually mine will totally be gone but even if it doesn't..I know I can live with it..just fill your lives with life. (I live alone in a foreign very restrictive country with few friends who comes and goes, and little social life..so its harder for me).

May all of u be blessed!

Nick

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Thank you for your insight Nick. -- All new sufferers should read this.

I've had it for about 9 months and just started working out more and eating real healthy which got me to the same level that you are at right now.

Staying busy is key too! -- Sorry to hear about your social life. What country do you live in?

Congrats to your recovery. It is definitely a success story and perhaps you should post a copy there for all to read. I guess the BTS method is in essence a type of mindfulness practice. You recognize the feeling or the sensation but you don't panic about it. This allows the brain slowly not treating T as a threat because the method gives you a way to react to the sound without caving into fearful reaction.

Postivity is a life force! If life has to be lived one way or another, why not live it positively? Nothing to lose but much more to gain by being positive.

It does dissapear sometimes...even a few days on end..and the silence is glorious..i had to check by plugging both ears..no sound!

Give time to work its magic..hope is eternal.

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Thank you Nick. You made my day with that tip!

I'm going cut down my coffee habit tomorrow. -- I usually have 2 big cups each day and noticed that the afternoon coffee wakes me up but definitely spikes my T.

Like you mentioned, working out is one of the best remedies so far especially since I never hear my T when I am at the gym and I feel like a million bucks when I am walking out of there. -- Getting healthier and more fit helps me feel better enough to get my mind off of the T and stop dwelling on it.